Jordan Peterson's Life-Changing Results: How the Carnivore Diet Eliminated Depression and Autoimmune Symptoms
The journey towards finding an optimal diet can be deeply personal, especially when health issues are involved. Two months of following a pure carnivore diet has shown remarkable results for someone who previously struggled with autoimmune issues. This dietary shift didn't happen suddenly, but evolved over time—beginning with a very low-carb approach including minimal greens for about a year, preceded by a general low-carb diet for two years.
The motivation behind this radical dietary change stemmed from witnessing a daughter's transformation after suffering from severe autoimmune disease that had caused debilitating arthritis requiring joint replacements at a young age. After experimenting with various elimination diets, the daughter discovered that removing most foods except beef dramatically improved her condition, eliminating not only her physical symptoms but also lifting the heavy cloud of depression that had affected multiple generations in the family. This personal experience prompted further exploration of the carnivore diet's potential benefits.
Key Takeaways
Dietary changes from standard eating patterns to carnivore showed noticeable physical improvements and weight loss over time.
A family member's severe autoimmune condition improved dramatically after eliminating most foods except meat.
Physical symptoms and long-standing depression lifted with strict dietary elimination, suggesting powerful connections between food and health.
Personal Health Journey Through Diet Evolution
Moving from Standard to Carnivore Approach
My health transformation began about two and a half years ago. At that time, I followed what most would consider a standard diet—including pasta, bread, chicken, and various other common foods. My weight was noticeably higher then, with my body carrying significantly more mass than it does now. The initial change came when I shifted to a low-carb diet approximately two years ago, which evolved into a very restricted low-carb diet with only greens as plant foods for about a year.
For the past two months, I've committed fully to a pure carnivore diet—consuming only meat products. The progression wasn't random but carefully considered based on health observations. People who knew me before this transition have commented on the dramatic physical changes, noting how much healthier I appear now compared to when I was following conventional eating patterns.
Previous Dietary Patterns and Physical Transformation
The motivation behind these dietary experiments stems from my daughter's severe health challenges. She suffered from a debilitating autoimmune disease that affected 40 joints, requiring hip and ankle replacements when she was just 15 and 16 years old. Beyond the physical symptoms, she experienced crushing depression and overwhelming fatigue that prevented her from staying awake more than six hours without medication.
My daughter discovered through trial and error that certain foods triggered her symptoms. She initially eliminated gluten, which produced remarkable improvements. She then restricted her diet further to just chicken and broccoli, which led to additional health gains:
Ability to stay awake throughout the day without medication
Significant reduction in depression
Gradual improvement in autoimmune symptoms
After extensive experimentation adding foods back one by one, she determined that her optimal diet was beef only. Seeing her transformation prompted me to try a similar approach. Within one week of adopting a very low-carb diet:
My gastric reflux disorder disappeared
Snoring stopped completely
Weight began dropping from my peak of 212 pounds
These unexpected rapid improvements convinced me to continue exploring dietary modifications, eventually leading to my current carnivore approach.
Health Improvements and Dietary Changes
Removing Refined Sugars and Processed Foods
The journey toward better health began with significant dietary modifications. Initially weighing around 212 pounds at approximately 6'1.5" tall, there was a noticeable physical transformation after changing eating habits. The first step involved eliminating refined sugars, preservatives, and processed foods from the daily menu. This fundamental change produced remarkable health benefits that were visible to others, who commented on the improved physical appearance.
These initial dietary adjustments focused on removing problematic food groups rather than following a specific named diet plan. The approach was practical rather than theoretical, based on personal experience rather than dietary expertise or scientific studies.
Discipline and Initial Benefits
The transition to a very low-carb diet with greens showed impressive discipline and commitment. This modified approach continued for about a year, following a general low-carb diet for approximately two years prior. The health improvements were substantial and noticeable to friends and acquaintances.
Within the first week of dietary changes, two unexpected benefits emerged:
Complete elimination of gastric reflux disorder
Significant reduction in snoring
These rapid improvements occurred before any substantial weight loss, suggesting the benefits extended beyond simple weight management. The positive results reinforced the commitment to continue with the restrictive dietary approach despite its challenges.
Decision to Exclude Greens
The motivation to move to a pure carnivore diet came from witnessing a daughter's battle with severe autoimmune disease. She suffered from debilitating arthritis affecting 40 joints, requiring hip and ankle replacements at ages 15-16. Beyond the physical symptoms, she experienced:
Severe depression
Inability to stay awake more than 6 hours without medication
Skin problems
Overall declining health
After methodical experimentation over several years, she discovered that eliminating gluten produced remarkable improvements. She then implemented a radical elimination diet down to chicken and broccoli, which led to dramatic symptom reduction. Eventually, through careful food reintroduction and testing, she determined she could only tolerate beef without symptom flares.
The daughter's recommendation to try this approach led to adopting a pure carnivore diet for the past two months. This decision wasn't made lightly but followed a pattern of successful dietary experimentation and documented health improvements that proved compelling enough to justify the extreme dietary restriction.
Health Journey with Autoimmune Conditions
Daughter's Battle with Autoimmune Disease
My daughter has struggled with a severe autoimmune condition that manifested primarily as arthritis affecting 40 joints. Her condition was debilitating—she required hip and ankle replacements at just 15 and 16 years old. For two years, she endured extreme pain, essentially walking on "broken legs." The situation was dire, comparable to a family history of similar issues where a cousin's daughter tragically passed away at 30 from a related autoimmune condition.
The transformation in my daughter's health has been remarkable. Currently living in Chicago, she's experiencing significant improvement despite needing a revision of her ankle replacement. She maintains a healthy weight of approximately 118 pounds on her 5'6" frame and displays a radiant appearance. Most importantly, all her autoimmune symptoms have disappeared. This improvement extends beyond physical symptoms—her previously severe depression has lifted, and she no longer needs Ritalin to stay awake for normal periods.
Wife's Dietary Connection Theories
My wife had long suspected a dietary connection to these health issues. Early signs appeared when our daughter was young:
Oranges and strawberries would cause noticeable rashes
Orange consumption specifically triggered arthritis flares
The challenge with identifying dietary triggers lies in the delayed reaction times. While some food reactions appear within hours, others might:
Take up to four days to manifest
Persist for an entire month
Create complex patterns difficult to track
The breakthrough came during my daughter's university studies. She noticed her skin problems worsening around exam periods—initially attributing this to stress. Upon reflection, she realized her diet changed dramatically during these times, consisting primarily of bread products. Eliminating gluten produced remarkable improvements, encouraging her to try a more extreme elimination approach.
Extended Family Health Patterns
Depression and autoimmune issues run throughout our family. My personal struggle with depression began at age 13 and has been severe throughout my life. This condition has affected multiple generations:
Family Member Condition Self Depression, various autoimmune symptoms Father Depression Grandfather Depression Wife Autoimmune problems Cousin's daughter Fatal autoimmune condition
The severity of this depression shouldn't be underestimated. When asked to choose between depression and arthritis—even after losing two joints—my daughter unhesitatingly chose arthritis as the less devastating condition.
My personal health improvements began two years ago when my daughter encouraged me to try her elimination diet for one month. Within the first week, my gastric reflux disorder disappeared and I stopped snoring, despite no significant weight loss from my starting point of 212 pounds on my 6'1" frame.
Dietary Elimination Process and Findings
Identifying Food Triggers
Food sensitivity identification presents significant challenges due to delayed reaction times. While some reactions occur immediately, many food-related inflammatory responses take up to four days to manifest and can persist for a month. These delayed reactions make identifying problematic foods extremely difficult through casual observation. Early indicators in my case included noticing that certain fruits, particularly oranges and strawberries, would trigger visible rashes and arthritic flares. These connections became more apparent during periods of dietary change, such as during university exam periods when my diet shifted heavily toward bread products.
Effects of Removing Gluten and Implementing Strict Elimination
The initial removal of gluten produced remarkable improvements in multiple symptoms. This success led to implementing a radical elimination diet consisting of only chicken and broccoli. The results were transformative:
Significant reduction in joint inflammation
Improved energy levels and ability to stay awake without medication
Resolution of severe depression symptoms
Reduction in skin problems
The elimination diet proved more effective than anticipated. Depression symptoms that had been present since age 13—a condition that runs through generations in my family—began to subside. When comparing the severity of depression to other painful experiences like losing a beloved pet, depression was described as substantially worse, even more debilitating than arthritis that had necessitated joint replacements.
Recovery Timeline and Obstacles
The journey to dietary discovery spanned approximately two years of careful experimentation. Adding foods back into the diet often resulted in severe setbacks:
Stage Duration Diet Composition Results Initial 1 month Low-carb approach Reduced snoring, improved reflux Intermediate ~1 year Meat and greens only Significant weight loss, improved energy Current 2 months Pure carnivore (meat only) Complete symptom resolution
Reintroducing eliminated foods sometimes triggered month-long flares where all symptoms would return, including depression and inflammation. These extended reactions created doubt about the dietary approach, but persistence revealed patterns. The transition from a standard diet to a specialized one required approximately two years to determine that beef and greens were tolerable, and eventually discovering that beef alone produced optimal results.
This experimental process requires caution and patience. Weight decreased from 212 pounds to a healthier level, with noticeable improvements beginning within the first week of dietary changes.
Depression and Its Impact
Depression is a severe mental health condition that goes far beyond typical sadness. When experiencing depression, waking up can feel like remembering that your entire family died in a horrible accident the previous day—but often worse. It's not simply feeling down or blue; it's a debilitating condition that can completely overtake one's life.
Comparing Depression to Other Forms of Suffering
Depression's severity often gets misunderstood by those who haven't experienced it. When asked to choose between depression and severe arthritis (even after having two joint replacements), the choice was clear: arthritis was preferable despite its extreme physical pain.
One revealing perspective comes from comparing grief to depression:
Experience Emotional Impact Losing a beloved pet Painful but manageable Clinical depression Far more devastating than grief
This comparison demonstrates the exceptional depth of suffering that accompanies depression. Even profound grief following the loss of a loved one doesn't reach the depths of clinical depression's darkness.
Family History with Depression
Depression often runs in families, creating generational patterns of suffering. In this case, depression has been present since age 13, following a pattern seen in both father and grandfather. The condition has been a "constant battle" requiring various treatment approaches.
The familial connection extends beyond just depression. Autoimmune conditions frequently appear alongside depression in family medical histories. This connection between depression and autoimmune dysfunction suggests potential shared underlying mechanisms that might explain why dietary interventions can sometimes address both conditions simultaneously.
Depression's genetic component makes it particularly challenging to overcome, as it represents not just a temporary state but a persistent, inherited predisposition that requires ongoing management strategies.
Dietary Transition to Animal-Based Foods
My Daughter's Health Journey and Initial Changes
My dietary transformation began as a result of watching my daughter's experience with a severe autoimmune disease. She suffered from debilitating arthritis affecting 40 joints, requiring hip and ankle replacements at just 15 and 16 years old. Beyond the physical symptoms, she struggled with profound depression and extreme fatigue, rarely staying awake for more than six hours without medication. Her health deteriorated to a critical point, made more concerning by a family history of autoimmune conditions.
Her recovery journey started at university when she noticed skin problems developing during exam periods. Rather than attributing this solely to stress, she recognized her diet had shifted to primarily bread and sandwiches. After eliminating gluten, she experienced notable improvements, encouraging her to adopt a more restrictive elimination diet of chicken and broccoli.
Progression to All-Meat Consumption
The transition to a completely animal-based diet happened gradually through careful experimentation. After two years of methodical food testing, my daughter determined that beef and greens were the only foods she could tolerate without triggering severe symptoms. Eventually, she discovered that even greens caused issues, narrowing her diet to beef exclusively.
Her health improvements were remarkable:
Complete resolution of autoimmune symptoms
Elimination of depression
Normal energy levels without medication
Significant weight normalization
Overall vibrant health
Two years ago, seeing these transformative results, she encouraged me to try her approach for one month since I shared many similar symptoms. Though skeptical, I agreed to the temporary experiment, beginning with a very low-carb diet.
Important Considerations for Dietary Changes
This dietary approach should not be undertaken casually. The experimentation process revealed several important cautions:
Delayed reactions: Many food sensitivities produced reactions that:
Appeared up to four days after consumption
Could persist for an entire month
Made identification of triggers extremely difficult
Severe consequences: Adding certain foods back into the diet sometimes produced devastating results, with symptoms returning at full intensity for extended periods.
Individual variation: The extreme sensitivity developed during the elimination process varied significantly, with some foods causing month-long setbacks.
My personal results were surprisingly quick - within the first week of dietary changes, my gastric reflux disorder resolved completely and my snoring stopped. Prior to these changes, I weighed 212 pounds at approximately 6'1", which had been my heaviest weight.
My Personal Health Journey Through Diet Change
Early Doubts and Commitment
I approached the carnivore diet with significant hesitation. Having struggled with autoimmune issues throughout my life, I was willing to experiment despite my skepticism. My daughter's remarkable health transformation provided compelling motivation—she had suffered from severe arthritis affecting 40 joints, requiring hip and ankle replacements at just 15 and 16 years old. Her success with dietary changes inspired my own journey.
Initially, I committed to trying a modified diet for just one month. "I can hang by my fingernails from the windowsill for a month," I thought at the time, viewing it as a short-term experiment. My transition to carnivore wasn't immediate—I began with a low-carb diet two years ago, then moved to a very low-carb diet with minimal greens for about a year, before finally adopting a pure carnivore approach two months ago.
Health Transformations Observed
The health improvements I experienced were both rapid and unexpected. Within the first week of adopting a low-carb diet, my gastric reflux disorder disappeared completely, and my snoring—something I had struggled with for years—stopped entirely. These changes occurred before significant weight loss, which surprised me.
My physical appearance transformed dramatically. When I first began my dietary changes, I weighed approximately 212 pounds at my 6'1" frame—my heaviest point. Friends who hadn't seen me for some time commented on my improved appearance after transitioning to meat and greens.
Perhaps most significant was the impact on my depression, which I'd battled since age 13:
Before diet change:
Severe, persistent depression (familial pattern)
Required various treatments
Constant struggle to manage symptoms
After diet change:
Substantial reduction in depressive symptoms
Improved energy levels
Better overall mental clarity
The effectiveness of dietary intervention makes sense when considering my daughter's experience. She described her depression as worse than losing a beloved pet or even the physical pain of arthritis that had cost her two joints. Through careful elimination and reintroduction of foods, she discovered that her body responded best to a beef-only diet—a finding that ultimately guided my own transition to carnivore.
